Soyuz crew to blast off and mark 60 years of spaceflight

ALMATY (Kazakhstan), April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A three-man crew will blast off to the International Space Station on Friday in a capsule honouring the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in space. Reminders of Gagarin’s achievement were everywhere at the Russia-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan…

Covid-19: WHO records over 667,000 new daily cases worldwide

GENEVA, April 9 (NNN-TASS) – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has exceeded 132.73 million across the globe, growing by more than 667,000 cases in the past 24 hours, the World Health Organization reported. This is the highest single-day figure since Jan 17, the WHO said, reporting 132,730,691 coronavirus cases…

Belfast in turmoil as Brexit stokes tensions in Northern Ireland

BELFAST, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rioters waged a running battle with police in Belfast on Thursday night — tossing petrol bombs, setting fires and dodging jets from water cannon as a week of unrest showed no sign of letting up. Hundreds of boys and young men gathered from early evening…

China launches new satellite for space environment survey

TAIYUAN (China), April 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – China successfully sent an experiment satellite into planned orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province Friday. The satellite, the third of the Shiyan-6 series, was launched by a Long March-4B carrier rocket at 7:01 a.m. (Beijing Time). It will…

US blacklists Myanmar state-owned gems enterprise

Anti-coup protesters run from the military during a demonstration in Yangon WASHINGTON, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Myanmar state-owned gems enterprise in a bid to curtail the military junta’s ability to generate revenues, according to a statement. The move is the latest…

Covid-19: AstraZeneca woes grow as Australia, Philippines, African Union curb shots

LONDON, April 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Australia and the Philippines limited use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, while the African Union dropped plans to buy the shot amid global shortages, dealing further blows to the company’s hopes to deliver a vaccine for the world. The vaccine – developed with Oxford…

Singapore, US to explore ways to revive air travel amid Covid-19, including vaccination certificates

SINGAPORE, April 9 (NNN-CNA) — Singapore and the United States will explore ways to revive international air travel safely amid COVID-19, including the use of vaccination certificates. Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung had an introductory virtual meeting with his US counterpart Pete Buttigieg on Thursday, during which they discussed several…

Covid-19: Indian firm refunds South Africa for undelivered AstraZeneca vaccine doses

South Africa’s Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize PRETORIA, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Serum Institute of India on Thursday refunded the South African government for vaccines Pretoria had ordered but which were undelivered.South African Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, said the Institute – which is the main supplier of the Oxford…

Deadly algae kill 4,200 tons of Chilean salmon

SANTIAGO, April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 4,200 tons of salmon have fallen victim to killer algae in Chile, the South American country’s fisheries and aquaculture service said. It’s the latest mass mortality event recorded in the world’s second largest producer of salmon. It has been attributed to harmful algal…

US shooting: One dead, multiple victims wounded in Texas shooting

BRYAN (Texas, US), April 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One person was dead and several in critical condition following a shooting at a business in Texas Thursday, just hours after US President Joe Biden called gun violence an “epidemic” and unveiled plans to tackle the crisis. The suspect was “in custody,” according…